Learn about your rights under the law if you are properly using a typical kitchen appliance such as a mixer or a hand blender and you become injured because of a defect with the product.

Your Rights When You Are Injured by a Defective Appliance

Most kitchens include a variety of appliances, such as a coffee maker, toaster, hand blender, mixer and more. You may use these appliances on a regular basis, taking care to use them properly and to store and maintain them as recommended by the manufacturer. On occasion, a manufacturing defect may cause the appliance to break or malfunction, resulting in your injury. You can consider these courses of action.

Document the Problem

As soon as you are able, contact the manufacturer and report the problem about the product. The manufacturer may already know about the defect and may have a recall policy in place to reimburse you for the product, your injuries and other expenses. Reporting the issue to the manufacturer also gets your complaint on record.

Refer to the Warranty

Find out whether the product is under a warranty. If your injuries were minor and you will not need ongoing medical care, the warranty on the product may reimburse you for the cost of the product or provide a replacement unit. The warranty may come from the store where you purchased the product or directly from the manufacturer itself.

Get Legal Representation

If your injuries are moderate to severe and require ongoing medical treatment, you may benefit from legal representation. A personal injury attorney can help represent you if this happens. Your medical expenses, pain and suffering due to the defective product could be considerable. You may also wish to contact the Consumer Product Safety Council, the state Attorney General and other authorities who may wish to initiate a class action lawsuit. A class action lawsuit may be taken by your attorney or a public attorney when it is known that many people have experienced injuries that are the result of a known manufacturing defect in a kitchen appliance.